Congressional Republicans have sought to put the president's immigration policies at the forefront of the debate over a Homeland Security bill, and now Democrats are aiming to shift the rhetorical battle to your local firehouse.

If the bill isn't passed to continue paying for the Department of Homeland Security, which will run out of money at the end of the month, Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey and others say grants to fire departments will stop flowing.

The ramifications of halting the grants would be significant for firefighters who need to replace trucks and hoses, argue Democrats, who want a funding bill passed that does not halt President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration.

The outcry over potentially jeopardizing those dollars came as Casey and other Democrats on Thursday voted for a third time against advancing the Homeland Security measure.

In addition to paying for the agency's operations, the House-passed legislation would roll back Obama administration changes that would provide deportation relief to millions of undocumented immigrants. Money for the Department of Homeland Security was limited in last year's spending bills so that congressional Republicans could express their disapproval of those policy changes.

While Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress, they still need a handful of votes from Senate Democrats to get the spending bill to the president's desk.

After Thursday's vote, Casey held a conference call to detail the nearly $20 million in Homeland Security money that went to 233 Pennsylvania fire departments last year, and the more than 1,000 pending applications that would be placed in limbo if a spending bill isn't approved.

"This is basic equipment that these fire companies need and they should not have to tolerate politics in Washington," Casey told reporters. "It puts them at risk and their communities at risk."

In the last round of funding, nine fire companies in Lehigh and Northampton counties received grants totaling $882,563 to purchase new vehicles and other equipment. The Allentown Fire Department received $364,000 — the fourth-largest grant in Pennsylvania — to buy self-contained breathing apparatuses, which provide breathable air to firefighters.

Casey's staff said they expect the current round of applications to bring a similar amount of money back to Pennsylvania fire companies. Pending applications include a $120,000 request from the Bethlehem Fire Department and more than $260,000 sought by an Upper Macungie Township station, according to Casey's office.

By focusing on popular spending items like fire department grants, Democrats can make the standoff increasingly difficult for Republicans, who would face a backlash if Homeland Security funding was allowed to run out, said G. Terry Madonna, a political scientist and pollster at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster.

"As long as Democrats stay united, Republicans are just going to scramble around to try to break the gridlock," Madonna said.

Some Republicans, including Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, have expressed frustration with the Democratic tactics, saying critics should at least allow the bill to reach the amendment stage and then offer a proposal to strip out the immigration provisions they find objectionable.

But Republicans have few options if they cannot convince six Democrats to switch their position. The GOP could revise the legislation, or attempt to approve another short-term extension.

The agency's funding will end Feb. 27 if a bill does not clear Congress. Legislators are planning to return to their districts for the week of Feb. 16, giving them only a handful of session days left to reach an agreement.